Amid widespread protests in Bihar over the exclusion of Aadhaar from the list of acceptable identity documents for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar said Aadhaar was “never the first identity” and stressed its inbuilt security features.
Speaking exclusively to a media house, Kumar said the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was actively cracking down on the fake Aadhaar card industry. He highlighted the use of QR codes embedded in Aadhaar cards to verify authenticity.
“There is a QR code on all new Aadhaar cards issued, and UIDAI has developed an Aadhaar QR scanner app. With this app, one can verify the card’s credentials against the data embedded in the QR code. Fake cards can easily be detected and stopped,” he said.
He added that in some cases, people create fake-looking Aadhaar cards using Photoshop or printed templates. “These are not Aadhaar cards,” Kumar clarified.
He also revealed that UIDAI is developing a new Aadhaar app, which is in its final stages and has already been demonstrated internally. The app will allow seamless digital sharing of identity with the consent of the Aadhaar number holder, eliminating the need for physical copies.
The new app will also include a masked version feature, letting users choose whether to share their details in full or in a redacted format.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Sunday maintained that the SIR exercise was progressing “smoothly at the ground level” and said “no change in instructions” had been issued.
The Commission’s directive issued on 24 June aims to cover around eight crore voters in Bihar by 25 July. The revision seeks to identify and delete ineligible voters while including eligible citizens in the electoral roll.
Opposition parties have strongly criticised the move. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav urged the Election Commission to halt the exercise until after the assembly elections in Bihar.
Speaking at a press conference with INDIA bloc allies, Yadav said voters were being inconvenienced as widely held documents like Aadhaar and MNREGA job cards were not being accepted as valid ID proof.
“It is perplexing that Aadhaar cards, which are made after biometric verification and are to be linked to voter ID cards, are not being accepted,” he said.
Yadav questioned why this special revision was limited only to Bihar, unlike the last nationwide revision held in 2003. He also urged the EC to publish daily constituency-wise data on the number of voters covered and disclose details about the volunteers assisting booth-level officers.
“The EC must talk to its booth-level officers who are bearing the brunt of voter anger while collecting documents,” he said.
According to the EC notification, the 11 accepted documents for the SIR include identity or pension cards of PSU employees, government-issued certificates dated prior to 1 July 1987, birth certificates, passports, educational documents, caste and residence certificates, NRC-related papers, forest rights certificates, family registers, and land or house allotment records.
Follow us
